Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Archaeology

Archaeology is a discipline that has constantly incorporated other fields such as biology and chemistry in its attempt to fully understand the past through various means of analysis. In the last decade, the use of GIS software has enabled new advancements in the study and investigations of archaeological sites. GIS has provided the archaeologist with a complex tool for mapping, database management, and spatial analysis among other things. GIS analysis can save time in addition to taking on projects and problems that would be too difficult to do by hand. According to Dann and Yerkes, "The use of GIS is not a substitute for systematic archaeological survey in a region, but can save much time and money in the planning of a survey and the analysis of the spatial data collected in the field." (1) Predictive modeling can help the archaeologist in choosing a site for excavation as well as determining the spatial relationships between several sites. The advanced technology of GIS to map the landscape of a region in relation to sites is one of the many ways archaeologists take advantage of GIS. Analysis such as site catchment, the amount of land used by the site and its culture, could then be conducted. GIS analysis is common in all realms of archaeology. However, it is much more common to be used for the analysis of large regions having many sites than for a single site.(2) Regional analysis looks at the relationship of sites with the landscape and with one another. This does not mean that GIS is incapable of being used for a single site. The technology is still rather new in the field and has just not been used to its full capacity. Within a single site, database management and artifact distribution would be two of the most useful applications of GIS. As the technology of GIS evolves, so will the field of archaeology and its advancements. Archaeology and GIS work together to "explore effectively past social systems in relation to their environment." (3) These web pages will attempt to demonstrate some of the multiple ways how GIS can be used by archaeologists.

Photo of author excavating at the sanctuary of Malloura, Cyprus 2001

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